1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a modular remote control casing, and more particularly, to a modular remote control casing including a lower housing member and an interchangeable upper housing member cooperative with an interchangeable keyboard and the lower housing member for use in a remote control casing having otherwise standardized component casing parts.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR .sctn.1.97-1.99
Universal remote controls are typically hand held devices capable of emitting infrared light modulated with information, which when received by equipment capable of processing such information, can control various functions of the equipment. A remote control is commonly called universal if it can send IR signals modulated by the codes pertaining to a wide variety of equipment, usually manufactured by different companies.
A remote control may have various design, pattern, shapes, and numbers of keyboard keys operative with electric circuitry to emit infrared light modulated with information to control functions of equipment. The present invention advantageously provides a remote control casing having an interchangeable upper housing member selected from a group of upper housing members having different layouts of ports cooperative with an interchangeable keyboard selected from a group of keyboards having different layouts of keys for use with other standardized component parts of the casing.
Heretofore, modular construction of programmable controllers have been proposed. Such controls however provide modular components to a controller structurally connected to the equipment it is operating.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,123 to Latham there is disclosed a push-pull cable control actuator assembly arranged for use with different numbers of cables using different numbers of cables, using different numbers of the same modular components. A housing includes two stationary side members with one or more modular intermediate assemblies supported between the side members. One side member and each intermediate assembly includes a support element with connections for one or two control cable sheaths and a control disc rotatably supported on the support element. The control disc is provided with connections for one or two control cable cores and a handle with knob for manually rotating the disc to thereby push or pull the core relative to the stationary sheath. Sheath connections on the support element and core connections on the control disc are connectable at a variety of positions to accommodate cables entering at a variety of angles to the control box, and for both pushing and pulling simultaneously for use as a relay station. Such actuators serve for remote control. The control actuator controls elements such as transmissions and throttles on palpation devices.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,077 to Powers there is disclosed a modular panel construction for a programmable controller and frame therefor which comprises an input/output panel housing which is readily connectable to adjacent housing and cooperates with up to four removable input/output modules. The input/output housing comprises a supporting frame structure, a removable panel board secured to the frame, and terminal strips for interconnection between the input/output modules and the user's equipment, and equipment wiring housing. The wiring from the equipment being controlled is connected directly to the fixed terminals and need not be removed when the input/output modules are removed or replaced.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,101 to Heiz et al. there is disclosed a modular remote control and supervisory system switch gear comprising a plurality of switching units including command devices, switching devices, and signaling devices which are combined according to given switching functions, each of the command devices and switching devices comprising transmitters for delivering command signals and each of the switching devices and signaling devices comprising receivers for receiving the command signals. The command, switching and signaling devices are contained in slide-in units inserted into shells of a switch box. Each switch-in unit comprises the transmitters and receivers for the devices contained in the respective switch-in unit, and the transmitters and receivers of all slide-in units are connected to a control cable interconnecting the slide-in units. The control cable is connected to a central unit producing address signals in cyclic sequence and comprises a signal generator for producing readout signals of a time period which is shorter than that of the address signals. Thus, no wiring plans are required for the switch gear for making the control connections and the switch gear may be assembled from prefabricated parts and combined with slide-in units which may be rearranged and exchanged without requiring complicated changes in the control wiring. It is only necessary to fix the number and type of the required command devices, switching devices and signaling devices and to establish an "address plan" according to which the desired switching units are assembled from the different devices, the address units of the devices being sent to the addresses as indicated in the address plan.
A modular construction for a remote control operable when structurally separated from the equipment it is operating is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,417 to Wald et al. This device is a portable data-gathering apparatus formed by modular components having operate-standby modes. The data-gathering unit is hand-held and formed by removably connected control and power modules. The control module contains a keyboard, a display device, a data input probe, and a micro processor. The power module contains a rechargeable battery with a converter and associated power logic, and a memory system with associated memory control logic. During the operation mode, input data enters the control module and is forwarded to the memory in the power module. As data is gathered during portable operation, the memory may reach capacity or the battery voltage may drop, or both. The power module may be removed from the control module and replaced by a fresh power module with a fully charged battery and an empty memory. The expired power module is inserted into a service module for charging the battery or transmitting the data to a remote terminal, or both. The control module may also be inserted into the service module where it is activated by a stationary power supply and interfaced with the memory in the power module for stationary operation. Thus, the hand-held data-gathering unit is formed of modular components which interface independently with a stationary component.
The present invention provides a modular casing for a remote control structurally separated from the equipment it is operating wherein the casing has an interchangeable upper housing member chosen from a group of upper housing members having different layouts of ports cooperative with an interchangeable keyboard chosen from a group of keyboards having different layouts of keys for use in a casing having other standardized component parts. Therefore, only the interchangeable upper housing member and interchangeable keyboard need be designed with a corresponding number, design or pattern, and shape of upper housing member ports servicing keyboard keys as befits the function and purpose of the desired remote control as modular components cooperative with other standardized component parts of the casing for a remote control.